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5 Crazy Kickstarter Projects That Didn't Live Up to the Hype

Posted
Nov 10, 2018
by Bryan Liu

KICKSTARTER is a level playing field for many creative products. However, not every project will be successful. You donate to a project on Kickstarter, whether you put in $5 or $1,000, which means you take the risk that the project you're funding may end up failing. Here are five really crazy KICKSTARTERS that didn't live up to the hype in the end.

Ouya

If there is to be a Kickstarter campaign that is both hugely anticipated and hugely disappointing, it is Ouya. It raised more than $8.6 million in 2012. Creator Julie Uhrman says it's a low-cost game console based on Android that lets people play mobile game on TV. However, the funders who received the finished product said it was poor both in workmanship and appearance. What's more, the $50 handle was scrapped after a week!

Project Phoenix

Project Phoenix is a real-time strategic RPG game, which combines the essence of Japanese RPG and the advantages of western RPG. It raised more than $1 million in 2013 and was scheduled for release in 2015. However, it was revealed that the team in Project Phoenix was waiting for someone -- David Clark, who is Ori and the Blind Forrest developer -- to complete the core gameplay. However, he did not join in the campaign all the time. As a result, after such a long time, there was no sign of the release of Project Phoenix.

The CST - 01 Watch

The cst-01 was billed as the world's thinnest watch with an ink screen. There were 7,658 people raising more than $1 million on Kickstarter for it. But in 2016, the company that made the watch filed for bankruptcy, and all signs seemed to indicate that it actually had manufacturing problems, rather than a deliberate attempt to cheat money. But that is no reason for them to splash their investors' money about.

Elio Motors Three-Wheeled Car

Elio's three-wheeled electric car has a distinctive look with only three wheels, and fuel efficiency is its big selling point. It raised as much as $17 million in its first round, and 65,000 investors pre-ordered the model. But the money burned out in a matter of months, and the scheduled release date was pushed back and forth.

Portable Refrigerator--Coolest Cooler

Coolest Cooler is a versatile portable refrigerator for parties with Bluetooth speakers, a blender, and a USB charging port. By August, 2014, the project had raised $13,285,226. However, in 2016, it was announced that nearly two-thirds of the 62642 backers had yet to receive their product, and, by most accounts, the product amounted to little more than a blender.

Although there are many crazy but ultimately unsuccessful projects on Kickstarter, there are also some other crazy but responsible projects that have changed people’s life and promoted social and technological progress. For example, Megan Grassell, 19, founded Yellowberry through Kickstarter, a girls' bra company. Ms. Grassell choose to use Kickstarter crowdfunding platform and raised $42,000—one of the site's most successful projects. Today, Kickstarter platform is getting better and better, and some big brands are also releasing their creative new products on Kickstarter. Recently, Zendure launched its next generation product,Zendure SuperCord.

Zendure Kickstarter: Projects that Do Live up to the Hype

Zendure SuperCord is a USB cable that is durable enough for you to use in your whole life. Its amazing durability makes it popular on Kickstarter, until now 1,179 backers pledged $43,300 to help bring this project to life.

How surprising is this USB cable specifically? It could be used to pull a car and won’t break!

Through rigorous testing, it is capable of withstanding over 50,000 flexes at 180 degrees.

Such an ultra-strong and durable USB cable also supports fast charging, it is certified by Apple for high-speed charging with compatible Lightning devices. By the way, it’s lifetime warranty. It’s no wonder that Zendure SuperCord Cable was recommended by Mashable, Techmatrix, Steemet, Steemhunt, Techristic and so on. For example, Dorothy Pitti of Mashable once said, “Once you’ve got a tough-as-nails battery pack, why not make an indestructible USB cord to match? It just makes sense. More details, click Kickstarter now.

For Kickstarter, its mission is to "bring innovative projects to life." With good ideas, you can basically raise enough money to make your dreams a reality. But when we want to back a project, we shouldn't just look at the idea itself. The company or team behind the project is more important. A good project deserves our attention and support.